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Clutching to a paddle that he had somehow jammed into debris beneath the frigid, rushing water, pinned and unable to free himself from his submerged kayak, Steve Rossberg wondered if anyone could hear the distress calls from his police whistle. After 90 minutes in the icy water, body numb, he could feel his will to survive ebbing. Then, with his head barely above water, he thought he saw someone on shore making a cell phone call. “I’ve got to hang on,” he thought. “I’ve got to hang on.”

Just two months after arriving in Alaska from Connecticut, Amanda Shaw’s husband, Spc. Justin Shaw, left for Afghanistan with about 3,500 paratroopers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division.

Living alone was a unique experience for Amanda, who grew up with six siblings.

“Being by myself was the hardest,” she said. “It was all new, but I made it through.”

Anchorage Police are seeking the public's help in locating a suspect in a pair of recent Eagle River robberies.

Police said security cameras at Avalanche Frozen Yogurt caught a black adult male in a gray hoodie, light khaki pants, black shoes and a black hat entering the store at around 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1. The man was also wearing a mask that partially covered his face. APD spokesman Lt. Dave Parker said the man carried weapon and got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Thanks to a costly mistake by sophomore quarterback Zyrelle Jones, Eagle River football held on to defeat Bartlett 31-25 in the regular season finale Saturday at the Wolves’ den.

Trailing by six with no timeouts and under 15 seconds left in regulation, Jones spiked the ball at Eagle River’s 1-yard line, however, it was fourth down and the Wolves took over on downs. Prior to Jones’ blunder, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound quarterback leaped for the end zone but Eagle River stopped him just inches shy of the goal line and prevented the game-tying score.

With less than 100 meters to go in Saturday’s Class 4A boys cross-country running state championship race, Chugiak’s David McPhetres was cruising to a top 10 finish.

Not so fast.

Heading into the finish chute, McPhetres’ feet got tangled with another runner’s and the Chugiak runner went skidding to his hands and knees. Watching from the sidelines, David’s mom (and Chugiak coach) Tina, said she nearly lost it.

About 300 paratroopers from the Army's 4th Bridgade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division — the "Spartans" — arrived at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson early Thursday morning after a 10-month mission to Afghanistan.

The plane load of soldiers was the first "main body" transport to arrive at JBER. Combined with several advance flights that arrived earlier this fall, the most recent redeployment brings the total number of troops back in Alaska to 800 of the 3,500-soldier brigade.

A spokesperson for the nationwide auto parts store confirmed Monday the chain will soon move to Eagle River.

The store will occupy space alongside the Old Glenn Highway where demolition crews recently tore down the building that formerly housed Aztec’s restaurant and Everything Under the Midnight Sun thrift store.

Jonathan Oliver asked Eagle River High students to undertake each of these five challenges during a presentation Monday, Sept. 24.

Oliver is part of Rachel’s Challenge, a program that teaches students and adults how to combat bullying and feelings of isolation. The program is based on the journal writings of Rachel Scott, the first student killed in the Columbine High School shootings in 1999.

How do you tell the story of a legend? If you’re author Kaylene Johnson, you ask him.

Johnson, of Eagle River, recently collaborated with Alaska folk hero Dick Griffith on a new book called “Canyons and Ice,” which chronicles the modern-day adventurer’s many travels across some of the most forbidding terrain on the planet.

“It seemed like the story needed to be told,” said Johnson during an interview with she and Griffith at Johnson’s Birchwood home.